MARTHA BLOCKS

I asked current members to share photos of blocks and quilts from the hands of Martha Allwander, a founding member of Pioneer Quilters.  They are treasures to their families, but also to some current Pioneer Quilters who are fortunate enough to own examples of Martha's creativity and skill.  Martha was beyond generous in sharing her handiwork with members of the group.  I'd like to show you some examples:

Diane Jeffcott shared these two quilts made of what we typically call "Martha Blocks"--blocks hand sewn by Martha and donated to Pioneer Quilters.  I remember Martha visiting one Wednesday as we were quilting the second one in the frame.  She sat down and added some lovely stitches to it too.

Ginny Morrow won these wonky log cabin blocks made by Martha, at a  silent auction.  They are paper-pieced on newspaper,  but unfortunately none show the date.  So far, Ginny has made a placemat from a few of them.

Karen Wilson won this kit of precut1930's reproduction fabrics for 72 blocks.  Martha had completed these four of them.  Karen gave the kit to Sigrid Reinhardt, who has decided to use it for her friendship blocks in our current exchange.

This sweet quilt showcases Dresden Plate blocks by Martha Allwander combined with Sunbonnet Sue blocks sewn by Leona Kuddlemeyer, assembled and bound by Susan Rogers, fairly recently handquilted by Pioneer Quilters.  Photo taken when our quilting was just completed, and the quilt was not yet bound.

Barbara Fox's quilt of Martha blocks was the first one Pioneer Quilters quilted when we started meeting again after the pandemic.

Daryl Eccles was the lucky winner of  two sets of blocks in one of the auctions.

Jeanne Wong won these Martha blocks and pieced them into a quilt which she hand quilted before giving it to a grieving friend. 

Carol Gassman won these pink tulip blocks strip-pieced by Martha at a gift exchange at our Christmas party one year, and designed this quilt to feature them.  Pioneer Quilters hand quilted it and here it is as it came out of the frame--quilting completed!

Pat Glassow shared a photo of the quilt she designed using Martha blocks, which she won in a drawing.  Jodie Perry was also enamored of the blocks, so Pat came up with this design that didn't use all of the blocks and she shared the others with Jodie!

Sue Oja shared details of this Martha quilt, which you'll get to see in person at our 50th Anniversary Celebration May 2 & 3.  Notice the fussy-cut hexies in the middle photo.

Martha made all of the smaller Sunbonnet Sue blocks in Beth Weldy's quilt.  This was Beth's friendship block quilt--participating members created blocks of the larger Sues doing various things at the Lane County Fair.

And Beth is finishing the binding for this one--see it in person at our 50-Year Celebration!

Lois Scott shared the Martha quilt she owns:

And these are the Martha blocks Lois's daughter Sally Scott Oliver won and is piecing into a quilt.

So much of Martha's amazing generosity over the years is documented here,  but I'd also like to share blocks made for her in one of our 1984 Friendship Block exchange. You'll see them at the Celebration!

In May of last year, Lois visited Martha (left), bringing her this cheerful quilt she'd made out of some colorful blocks Martha had donated.  

We were so very sad to lose Martha last summer, at the age of 101. What an amazing, creative, generous and delightful woman she was!